HIGH SCHOOL FOOBALL ON DEMAND SEE BACK PAGE OCOBER 1-7, 2008 DEKALB S ALANA S HIGH SPORS SCHOOL ALK SPORS NEWSPAPER VOL 2 NO 5
W W W. S C O R E A L. C O M 02D I SCORE DEKALB SARING LINEUP PUBLISHER/EDIOR I.J. Rosenberg MANAGING EDIOR ad Arapoglou DIRECOR OF SALES/MARKEING John Duke AR/CREAIVE DIRECOR David Gaudio GRAPHIC DESIGNER D.J. Galbiati WEBMASER Alex Ewalt VIDEO MANAGER/PREP EDIOR Scott Janovitz BUSINESS MANAGER Marvin Botnick SALES Zander Lentz, Brian Pruett OFFICE MANAGER Nakia Washington BEA WRIERS Josh Bagriansky (Dream), Stephen Black (Silverbacks), Jason Boral (hrashers), James Butler (UGA), Dave Cohen (Georgia State), Johnny Crosskey (ech), Alex Ewalt (Preps), Erik Horne (Falcons), Scott Janovitz (Hawks/Recruiting), Fletcher Proctor (Braves) SAFF WRIERS Cranston Collier, Joe Deighton, Ricky Dimon, Rajesh Gupta, Brian Jones, Zander Lentz, Andrew McCarron, Corey Mitchell, Jessica Parker, Derek Wiley CONRIBUORS Dean Zindler, Kevin Dankosky, Mitch Evans, Matt Judy, ony Schiavone, Richard Diamond, Joe Haines, Brian Katrek, Chris Dimino, Mike Bell, Matt Stewart, Fred Kalil, Nick Cellini, Phillip Leopold, Dave Marshall, Greg Smith, Steak Shapiro, Mike Cather, Beau Bock, Chuck Oliver, Hal Lamar, Chris Cotter, Matt Chernoff, Roy Hickman, Dave Cohen, John Olah, Jeff Woolverton, Chris Voss, Bob Rathbun, Courtney Capps, Bill Hartman, Chuck Dowdle, Shannon Alderman, Dan Kamal, Dennis Scott, C.C., Hal Lanier, Jeff Batten, Micah Hart, Ben Wright, Alan Vasquez, Andrew Vedlitz, Brian Jones SPECIAL CONRIBUORS Mitch Albom, Dave Kindred, Barry Bloom SCHOOL LISING CHEROKEE/FORSYH: Cherokee, Creekview, Etowah, Forsyth Central, North Forsyth, Sequoyah, South Forsyth, West Forsyth, Woodstock COBB: Allatoona, Campbell, Harrison, Kell, Kennesaw Mountain, Lassiter, Marietta, McEachern, N. Cobb, N. Cobb Christian, Pebblebrook, Pope, S. Cobb, Sprayberry, Walton, Wheeler DEKALB: Chamblee, Columbia, Decatur, Druid Hills, Dunwoody, Lakeside, Marist, Miller Grove, M.L. King, Paideia, Redan, St. Pius X, Southwest DeKalb, Stephenson, Stone Mountain, ucker FULON: Alpharetta, Blessed rinity, Centennial, Chattahoochee, Douglass, Grady, Lovett, Mays, Milton, North Springs, Northview, Riverwood, Roswell, ri-cities, Westminster, Woodward Academy GWINNE: Berkmar, Brookwood, Buford, C. Gwinnett, Collins Hill, Dacula, Grayson, Greater Atlanta Christian, Meadowcreek, Mill Creek, Norcross, North Gwinnett, Parkview, Peachtree Ridge, South Gwinnett, Wesleyan Get In he Game! HE HIGH SCHOOL PLAYERS OF HE WEEK SAM MCNEARNY/KYLE FARMER MARIS he War Eagles quarterback tandem led Marist to a 38-0 home upset of then-no. 1 ucker last Friday. Farmer, a senior, completed four of five passes for 83 yards and ran for 86 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. McNearny, a junior, scored a rushing touchdown of his own in the first half to put Marist up 17-0 at halftime. he duo also helped lead Marist to a 14-13 upset of then- No. 3 Chamblee in Week 3. MORGAN BULLOCK MILL CREEK he senior pitcher won perhaps the most important game of her career last week, as she only allowed one hit and one earned run against North Gwinnett to clinch Region 7-AAAAA s No. 1 seed. In 24 regular-season games, Bullock was 18-2 with a 0.48 ERA and 143 strikeouts. At the plate, she is hitting.590 with 32 stolen bases, 31 runs and 46 hits. Bullock is committed to Florida State. FOR REAL-IME HIGH SCHOOL FOOBALL SCORES GO O SCOREAL.COM
OCOBER 1-7, 2008 W W W. S C O R E A L. C O M SCORE DEKALB I 03D ut with the old, in with the new: he emergence of the spread offense hese days you hear it everywhere. If you watch football on Saturday or Sunday, announcers and analysts can t stop talking about the number of teams that have adopted some form of the spread offense. his attacking style of play grew out of the ideas of Glenn Ellison (of Middleton High School in Ohio), and is transforming the game at every level. hough the spread was first run some 45 years ago, it has gained the most notoriety within the past decade. Due to the overwhelming success of many teams running the offense, there has been a rapid diffusion of the spread down to the high school level. In Georgia, some of the best examples of spread-offense teams are Lassiter, Chattahoochee and North Gwinnett. nents that they were not able to in the past. With a 4-1 record (the lone loss coming to Byrnes of South Carolina, one of the top teams in the nation), the Bulldogs look poised to continue baffling Region 7- AAAAA foes with their efficient spread offense. Similar to Sphire, erry Crowder at Chattahoochee switched to the spread from the Wing-. Crowder points out that by running the spread, it keeps your team in the ballgame. his is especially true if a team falls behind, because it is essentially in the two-minute offense the entire game. X s AND O s Within the spread formation, there are many factors that make it difficult for defenses to stop its offensive production at the high school level. It allows you to get the ball to your better athletes, says Lindsey. In addition to getting the ball to your best players, it is very important to have strong play from the offensive line. Crowder speaks highly of his young offensive line. he talent of the line is one of the main reasons the team switched to the spread, and there are high expectations for them to handle the bulk of the defensive pressure in the future. Like Crowder, Sphire believes that in many ways, the greatest challenge is to the offensive line, especially on blocking schemes and misdirections. All three coaches stressed the importance of strong blocking up front and the ability to get the ball into the hands of the team s best athletes. here are many people who question whether running the spread offense, which requires players to do a lot of the decisionmaking, is reasonable to ask of high school athletes. Crowder, Sphire and Lindsey unanimously believe that high school football play- A NEW ERA here are several reasons why high schools are incorporating the spread offense into their schemes. One thing is for sure: it has been a major contributing factor to the success of many programs and has created new interest in the game. Chip Lindsey of Lassiter, erry Crowder (pictured) of Chattahoochee and Bob Sphire of North Gwinnett each rely on different forms of the spread, and each coach broke down the positives and negatives of these offensive systems. Overall, there seems to be an immediate spike in offensive production for teams that implement spread offenses. If the spread is run correctly, it will score a lot of points. In five games this year, the North Gwinnett Bulldogs are averaging 29.2 points per game. Sphire ran the Wing- and triple-option wishbone before he adopted the spread. In past years, the [North Gwinnett] teams had been very competitive, winning about eight out of 12 games, Sphire says. However, with the spread, it has given the team a chance to beat more talented oppoers have the maturity to run the spread offense and that their programs are better for having incorporated it. For instance, at Lassiter, the high-powered style of offense has sparked an interest amongst the student body to join the team. here has been an increase in athletes coming out to play, because [the spread] is the offense [students] see on Saturday and Sunday, Lindsey says. As for the maturity level of players, the coaches believe the athletes can handle the decision-making. However, each coach stressed the importance of the staff making sure that each player knows his job on offense. At this rate, the spread offense is surely going to start appearing at more high school programs. Due to the increased use at the college level, it certainly gives an advantage to those players who will make the jump to collegiate football in the years to come. Most importantly, though, it challenges all coaches and players to approach offensive football with discipline, and it definitely adds a lot of creativity and excitement to the high school game. he cover photos of North Gwinnett s Michael amburo and Lassiter s Hutson Mason are courtesy of Photographic Arts and Ed urlington/et images, respectively. Gupta can be reached at rgupta@scoreatl.com. SPREADING HE FIELD: Chattahoochee head coach erry Crowder switched to the more dynamic spread offense from the Wing- and triple-option wishbone, and says that the spread keeps your team in the ballgame with its hurry-up style. Photo courtesy of Photographic Arts.
04D I SCORE DEKALB W W W. S C O R E A L. C O M Get In he Game! DeKalb County home to some of Georgia s top senior football players hether they are running, passing or Wtackling, DeKalb County has always produced some of the best high school footballers in the state. his season is no different, as all sorts of top-flight talent can be found in the area. Here s a look at four of the best players that DeKalb has to offer. Stephen Hill, WR, Miller Grove: Everyone knew that the Miller Grove wide receiver had speed, but he was considered a fairly raw prospect by the big-time programs and verbally committed to Central Florida last August. He has certainly turned some heads this season. Hill has proven he isn t only a speedster; his 6-foot-4 height allows him to be a major red-zone target as well. hanks to improvement in areas like that, the big boys are now lining up at his door with scholarship offers. Boston College offered him a scholarship on Sept. 23, and Georgia is also targeting him. Whether Hill stays committed to George O Leary s Golden Knights remains to be seen. One thing is for sure, however: Hill will make someone very happy at the next level. Nigel Mitchell-hornton, LB, Stephenson: here are some fantastic linebackers in the state this year, and Stephenson s Mitchell-hornton is right up there with the best of them. He checked in with 102 tackles in his junior season, 12 of them for losses. hat kind of performance garnered offers from schools such as ennessee, NC State and Georgia ech. Mitchell-hornton decided to play for the Volunteers, and he will begin attending classes in January after graduating early. he 6-2, 210-pounder can fly around and make plays anywhere on the field, making him a prime candidate for special-teams duty immediately upon his arrival in Knoxville. Meanwhile, Mitchell-hornton leads the way for a stout Jaguars defense, which has yielded just 5.3 points per game this year. Jonathan Davis, LB/RB, ucker: One of the best athletes around, the linebacker/running back is a tough matchup for both opposing defenses and offenses. Davis is just under 5-8, but he has great strength at 200 pounds and isn t afraid to lay the lumber. He s a terror with the ball in his hands out of the backfield, too. With 4.37 speed in the 40, he s always a possibility to break out for a long run. His versatility and athleticism have many top-tier programs recruiting him. he Class 4A All-State player is receiving major interest from schools at the next level. Clemson, Georgia ech, South Carolina and Penn State are all among the suitors for Davis s services, but he has yet to make a decision. Warren Norman, RB, Chamblee: Norman is a home-run threat on every play, which he showed last year by rushing for 1,527 yards in the Bulldogs run to the Class 3A state semifinals. ESPN describes him as a natural runner with deceptive downhill strength. Just ask Marist; he ran back an 80- yard touchdown against the War Eagles on Sept. 12, as he reversed the field and made several War Eagles miss. Norman is headed to Vanderbilt next fall, a program that appears to be on the rise in the SEC East after a 4-0 start to the season. With a talent like Norman, the Commodores hope to continue that rise with him in the backfield. Bagriansky can be reached at jbagriansky@scoreatl.com.
OCOBER 1-7, 2008 W W W. S C O R E A L. C O M SCORE DEKALB I 05D Douglas Co. programs clash in region tilt his week s 790 he Zone Game of the Week features two teams in need of a win. Each squad is 1-4 and 0-2 in Region 5- AAAA. Lithia Springs lost handily last week to county rival Alexander, while Douglas County has been outscored 87-27 in their two region losses. But those numbers are only on paper, and the Lions of Lithia Springs are looking to shred a lot of paper this week. On paper, it says they haven t beaten the igers in their last nine tries and that they have lost to Douglas County by scores of 38-7 and 31-0 over the last two seasons. hat paper also says the Lions haven t experienced a winning season since 1999. he Lions, led by head coach Steve Horton, have the experience to end the ninegame skid with eight of 11 defensive starters returning from last season, while their opponent had to replace 10 starters on defense after last year. Both teams are solid at quarterback with experienced starters Kelton Hill for the Lions and Anthony Caldwell for the igers. ight end Kevin Steed is a big target for the Lions at 6-foot-5, 205 pounds, while Caldwell and the igers have Derrick Woodford at 6-1, 185. Lithia Springs could have trouble running the ball, as its inexperienced offensive line will have to deal with 340-pound defensive lineman DuVawn Wallace. he Lions have their own stud on the defensive line in Bryan Davis, a Division I college prospect. Douglas County isn t used to losing (8-3 last season), especially recently with six trips to the playoffs in the last seven seasons. Wiley can be reached at dwiley@scoreatl.com Noles meet rojans in Class 4A showdown o. 1-ranked Westside-Macon has found Nits new region, 1-AAAA, quite welcoming. he Seminoles finished 7-3 last season in Region 4-AAAA, just missing the playoffs. his week s opponent, Lee County, finished 2-9 in 2007 but made the playoffs as the No. 3 seed in a Region 1-AAAA that consisted of only four teams. But that was last season, and that was the old Region 1-AAAA. his season s Region 1-AAAA features nine teams, and GPB s Game of the Week features its top performer (Westside at 5-0) and its lastplace team (Lee County at 0-5). Head coach David Johnson and the rojans are trying to rediscover the same winning state of mind that led to their 10-2 season in 2005. he Seminoles, led by the second-winningest football coach in Georgia high school history, Robert Davis (348 wins), just want to keep doing what they have been doing so far this season: winning. he Seminoles are led by their defense, with the team s all-time leading tackler in Julian Burnett at linebacker. Burnett has offers from Mississippi, Wake Forest, Purdue and South Carolina. he offense is led by quarterback Orrin McFadden, running back Marcus Wilson and receiver Danny Madison. he rojans must depend on offensive lineman yler Knight, an Auburn commitment, to protect quarterback Matt Aldrich and create running lanes for evin Jones. Stats alone say this should be an easy win for Westside, but lucky for Lee County, football games are won on the field and not in the stat book. hey will get the opportunity to turn their season around this Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Bibb County Sports Complex. Wiley can be reached at dwiley@scoreatl.com.
W W W. S C O R E A L. C O M 06D I SCORE DEKALB CHAMBLEE BULLDOGS he football team took advantage of a reeling Lakeside-DeKalb squad (0-5) to rout the Region 6-AAAA rival Vikings 42-0 last Friday night. Chamblee improved to 4-1 overall and 3-1 in the region with the convincing victory. he Bulldogs have an off week before going up against Southwest DeKalb (3-1) in an Oct. 10 showdown. he volleyball team (8-1 in 6-AAAA) also enjoyed an impressive week with 2-0 wins over both Lakeside and Stone Mountain last uesday. he team looked to continue the momentum at Blessed rinity, but results were not available at press time. he squad goes up against Riverwood on Wednesday and Dunwoody on hursday. he softball team exceeded a.500 record by dominating three games last week. he Lady Bulldogs beat Lithonia 9-1, ucker 8-0, and Lakeside 8-0. he boys cross country team won a DeKalb County meet at Shamrock Park against five other schools last uesday. Junior Alex Coble paced the Bulldogs, finishing second with a time of 17:54. he girls came in second and were led by freshman Lydia Morrow, who finished third with a time of 24:07. COLUMBIA EAGLES he football team had a bye this past week and will be back in action on Friday when the Eagles take on owers at Hallford Stadium. Eagles head coach Kevin Latham says his team is still learning. We re trying to find our identity. We are very young and our youth really shows up, Latham said. he Eagles (2-2) have looked impressive in their wins, but have struggled in their losses. Nevertheless, Latham can see the improvement in his team. We had a good off-week of practice, Latham said. hanks to a 25-11 win over McNair, the softball team will make up its previously delayed game against Clarkston on Wednesday. he game will resume with the score tied at 17-17 going into the eighth inning. A win will put Columbia into the Region 5-AAA ournament. Head coach Steve Dennis says his team is excited at the chance to play in the postseason. It gives you something to play for, Dennis said. In the win over the Mustangs, Frankie Jones was 4-for-5 with two triples, while Laura Burrell and Jonelle Joseph also went 4-for-5. DECAUR BULLDOGS he football team may be 1-3 after a loss to No. 1 Buford, but the Bulldogs put a major scare into the nationally touted Wolves. An extremely aggressive defense blitzed hroughout the first half and confused the Buford offense, trailing just 3-0 at the half. he olves didn t even register a first down until early in the second quarter, however. Buford an away with the win in the second half. A 7-yard touchdown run gave them a 10-0 lead, nd then they scored on a 54-yard run from Storm Johnson after rumon Jefferson and the ffense quickly went three-and-out. Buford cruised afterwards, winning 31-0. Jefferson was the spark offensively for Decatur. he Bulldogs had just 60 total yards, and were only able to muster one first down against a tough Wolves defense. DHS hosts winless Cross Keys on Friday at 7:30 p.m. he softball team beat Druid Hills 13-0 on Wednesday, but needed a win over Lovett on hursday to qualify for the region tournament in the season finale. hey were unable to win, falling 8-0 to the Lions. DUNWOODY WILDCAS he football team looked like it was in for a stiff test against Region 5-AAA opponent Cedar Grove. he Wildcats fell behind 21-14, allowing the Saints to score on their first three drives of the game. Dunwoody responded to take a 24-21 lead at halftime. A fumble led to a 2-yard touchdown run for Will Crotchet to take the lead in the third. Dalen Claytor scored the next two touchdowns of the game from 9 and 18 yards out. reavor Scales scored the final touchdown, his second of the evening, making the final score 52-27. he 5-0 Wildcats have the week off before returning to action on Oct. 10 against owers. he volleyball team defeated Riverwood in straight games (25-10, 25-21). hey return to the court on hursday at 5 p.m. against ucker. he boys cross country team finished 18th at the FSU Invitational in allahassee, Fla. James Dwyer finished 34th with a time of 16:51. Charlotte Collins raced well for the girls, finishing 34th with a time of 20:44. DRUID HILLS RED DEVILS Get In he Game! he football team is quickly becoming one of 2008 s best stories. raditionally a weak program, Kip Hall has his team believing after a 36-12 win over Clarkston on homecoming raised the Red Devils record to 3-2. One of the main reasons for the resurgence has been one of the school s best offenses in recent memory. Since a 27-0 loss to Decatur in the opener, they are averaging just over 30 points per game. But the schedule does kick up a notch in the coming weeks. A good Cedar Grove team looms on Saturday for a 7:30 p.m. matchup. If the Red Devils can win that game, they will be thinking playoffs at Druid Hills for the first time in well over a decade. he volleyball team beat Forsyth Central in straight sets, but followed that up with a disappointing loss to Dunwoody (20-25, 26-24, 10-15). he team hosts owers and Cedar Grove on hursday beginning at 5 p.m., and will remain home on uesday to host McNair and Dunwoody, also starting at 5 p.m. he softball team was defeated 13-0 by Decatur, but responded by beating Clarkston 12-2 in five innings. LAKESIDE VIKINGS he football team s winless season continued on Friday. he Vikings lost another game by a wide margin, this time going down 40-0 to Chamblee. he Vikings have a muchneeded week off to try and turn things around before returning to the gridiron on Oct. 11 against Stone Mountain at 7:30 p.m. he boys cross country team finished fifth overall in an extremely strong field at the Aubrae Gunderson Invitational. he team s average time was 17:50. Charlie Clark had a strong race, finishing 16th with a time of 17:23. he girls team joined the boys with a fifth-place finish. Meaghan Wetterhall was seventh, checking in at 20:28. Meg Maciuba was next in 14th place with a time of 20:54. Both teams leave the state next Saturday to run in the Wendy s Invitational in Charlotte, N.C. he softball team was defeated 8-0 in five innings against Chamblee. he squad is currently 9-7 overall and 4-4 in region play. he Lady Vikings play Southwest DeKalb at home on Wednesday, and then host them the following day as well. MARIS WAR EAGLES he football team shocked the state with a huge win over Region 6-AAAA opponent and No. 1-ranked ucker. And it wasn t just the win itself, but the way that Marist beat the igers that was most impressive. he War Eagles dominated on both sides of the ball and won the game handily, 38-0. Sam McNearny opened up the scoring early with a touchdown run from 1 yard out. hen, quarterback Kyle Farmer s 2-yard score upped the lead to 17-0 at the half. ucker didn t even manage a first down in the first two quarters. It was more of the same in the second half, and a Patrick Sullivan 22-yard run put ucker away. Matt Connors scored twice in the fourth quarter to close the scoring for the War Eagles. Next up is Forsyth Central on Oct. 10. he boys cross country team took home first place at the Aubrae Gunderson Invitational with 69 points. Great depth was the key as David Connolly, Charlie Fetter, William Rafety and Dylan Moore all finished in the top 20. he softball team kept rolling with an 8-0 win over Peachtree Ridge and a 10-0 victory over North Springs last week. M.L, KING LIONS he football team kicked off the Region 2-AAAAA slate in stellar fashion, posting a 28-7 road win over Luella (3-1) last Friday night. Junior running back Mack Brown rushed 17 times for 176 yards and two touchdowns while senior linebacker Joel Kight recorded 19 tackles on defense. he team improved to 3-1 overall and will host Douglass (2-2) in a region showdown for homecoming on Friday night at 8 p.m. Douglass is fresh off a 47-14 rout of Greenbrier to pick up their first region win. M.L. King holds the advantage in the all-time series against the Astros, 2-0. he volleyball team is still searching for its first victory after falling in two straight games to area rival Houston County on Saturday, Sept. 20. he softball team has enjoyed some time off to bask in its first win of the season, which came on Sept. 16 with a 14-5 drubbing of Druid Hills. he squad looked to keep up the momentum while visiting Lakeside on uesday, but results were not available at press time.
W W W. S C O R E A L. C O M OCOBER 1-7, 2008 MILLER GROVE WOLVERINES he football team beat Forsyth Central 24-3 last week. Miller Grove jumped out on the Bulldogs early and would not look back thanks to a superb defensive effort that shut out orsyth Central in the second half. Kenneth Gilstrap opened the game with a 50-yard touchown run and Gerald Hatchett later produced touchdown runs of 12 and 53 yards. Despite the in, head football coach Jasper Jewell still says his team can play better. Offensively, we re till not where we need to be, Jewell said. his is only (quarterback) Kendrick Ings s second eek back. We re just not in-sync on offense. he Wolverines will look to get in-sync as a eam with a bye week. After the bye, Miller Grove (2-2-1) returns to action on Oct. 11 when he Wolverines play Lithonia at Hallford Stadium. After losing to Southwest DeKalb, the oftball team beat Clarkston 15-0 and Stone Mountain 11-3 last week. Chelsea Bromet pitched oth games for the Wolverines, getting the wins. In the win over Stone Mountain, Jade Nelson ent 3-for-3 with a three-rbi triple. PAIDEIA PYHONS he boys cross country team finished 15th at the Aubrae Gunderson Invitational. Jack Scully paced the Pythons with a 51st overall finish in 20:25. Karl Kingma finished just behind him in 58th place with a time of 20:38. Spencer Bledsoe was next with a final time of 20:55. he average finish for the team was 20:57. he girls team finished 11th with an average time of 26:01. Katie Reeder led the way with a time of 25:17 in 56th place. Zainab Nizam was next to finish for the Lady Pythons with a time of 26:24. Both teams return to action on uesday in the second county meet of the year at Decatur High School. he volleyball team dropped consecutive matches last week, losing to the Atlanta International School in straight sets, and losing again in straight sets the following day at Druid Hills (25-17, 25-18). he Lady Pythons face Atlanta International again on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. at home. hey host Grady on Monday at 5 p.m. D REDAN RAIDERS espite a valiant second-half comeback, the football team fell 36-20 to Union Grove Friday. Union Grove got on the board first, but Redan responded as quarterback Akil Dan-Fadio hit receiver ravis Benton on a long touchdown pass to cut the Wolverine lead to 8-6. Union Grove tacked on another score, however, and took a 15-6 halftime lead. hey extended that lead in the second half, but a touchdown pass and touchdown run by Dan-Fadio helped pull Redan within two scores. We ve just got to keep working, keep improving, said head coach Ronnie Fleetwood. Redan next plays Newton on Friday at Panthersville Stadium. he volleyball team got wins over Lithonia (25-10, 25-13) and ri-cites (25-14, 25-17). During the Lithonia match, Faith Adams was one of the heroes, as she had four aces, three kills and two assists. Also, Nia Evans had seven kills and three blocks. Against ri-cities, Delia Brunson had seven kills, four aces and five blocks and Sariah Williams had nine aces, three kills and six assists. he Raiders improved to 21-6 on the year. S. PIUS X GOLDEN LIONS he football team rolled in a relatively easy 35-7 victory over herrell. he Golden Lions record now stands at 5-0 on the season. hey face a competitive North Atlanta squad this eek at George B. Maloof Field. he Warriors are just a game behind the Golden Lions in egion 5-AAA play. Game time is 7:30 p.m. he boys cross country team finished second overall at the Mercer Invitational with 96 points. rey Ellis was only two seconds behind the race leader, finishing second in a time of 16:36. Brandon Hoban scored an eighth-place finish in 17:14. hey return to the track on Saturday for the Asics Invitational in Douglasville. Both the girls and boys teams are currently ranked No. 2 overall in Class 3A. Volleyball faces a busy week. he team takes on Pope and Chattahoochee on hursday at 6 p.m. and plays five games on Saturday at the Northview Playday. hen the team hits the court again on uesday to face Blessed rinity and Landmark Christian. he softball team faces rivals Marist on hursday at 5 p.m. Region tournament play starts on Monday. SOUHWES DEKALB PANHERS SCORE DEKALB I 07D he football team improved to 4-1 with a 56-0 victory over North Springs last weekend. he game marked the third straight shutout by the Panthers defense, as they held Forsyth Central and Lakeside scoreless in their two previous games. Southwest DeKalb has a bye this week before playing Chamblee on Oct. 10. he softball team has been comfortably atop of its half of Region 6-AAAA all season, and is brimming with confidence as the season is winding down and the region tournament approaches. Freshman rence Nash has done well at the plate, compiling a.455 batting average and two home runs through 13 games. Jared Williams finished 11th in the boys Red Division at the Aubrae Gunderson Invitational last week, registering a time of 17:59.65. Andrew Menjor finished 14th with a time of 18:09.91 and Ed Austin finished 22nd. he boys finished seventh out of 20 teams. For the girls, Amber Crews finished fourth in her Red Division race with a time of 21:39.73. Earlier in the week, Crews won her DeKalb County Week 4 race. SEPHENSON JAGUARS he football team remained unbeaten with a 25-7 win over Newton last Friday. he Jaguars defense and special teams were the catalyst early on, as they got Stephenson on the board with a safety and a field goal by Colin Anderson. Later, a touchdown run by Raymond Sanders and a punt return for a score by Jonathan Blackley put Stephenson up 18-0 at the break. Stephenson tacked on another score in the second half, and all the Rams could manage was a late touchdown against the Jaguar reserves. Stephenson (4-0) came into the game focused on getting a win. [It s] our first region game. We tried to treat this like a playoff game, Jaguar head coach Ron Gartrell said. Stephenson will be in action on Friday when the team plays at Luella. aylor homas finished ninth in her Week 4 DeKalb County cross country race with a time of 27:01.60. Jillian homas was the next Lady Jaguar to finish, coming in 18th. Chris Ballou had the top finish for the boys, coming in 34th. SONE MOUNAIN PIRAES he football team got its first win of the season in a dominating 28-4 victory over Lithonia last Friday. Michael Gilbert rushed for 72 yards and two touchdowns in the Pirates win. Quarterback Jhyree Harris also contributed two touchdowns as the Pirates built a 21-0 firstquarter lead. he defense was just as dominating, not allowing a single point from the Bulldogs, and Lithonia could only manage two safeties. Robert Nelson led the charge for the Pirate defense with 18 tackles. After the game, Stone Mountain head coach Charles Reeves said his young team has plenty of room to grow. We need to do a better job on the offensive line, Reeves said. We re not coming off the ball right now, that s been our major problem offensively. he Pirates are also getting used to Harris, a transfer student from Florida, being under center. Stone Mountain (1-4) has a bye week before taking on Lakeside on Oct. 11. Jonathan Spivey led the boy s cross country team with a 15th-place finish in his race at the Week 4 DeKalb Meet. Spivey s time was 19:44.67. UCKER IGERS he football team, ranked No. 1 in Class 4A, suffered its first setback of the season at Marist (4-1) last Friday night, dropping a crucial Region 6-AAAA game by the score of 38-0. In the first half, ucker managed just 10 yards of total offense and no first downs. Marist took control of the game early and never let it go, said iger head coach Franklin Stephens. But we re ucker, and we ll come back. Football has an off week to regroup before hosting North Springs for homecoming on Oct. 10. he volleyball team was idle last week but takes a 3-1 record in Region 6-AAAA play to Dunwoody on hursday at 5 p.m. he softball team will try to right the ship on Wednesday against Marist at 5 p.m. after losing twice last week. Volleyball fell to Forsyth Central 12-0 last uesday and to Chamblee 8-0 one day later. he boys cross country team placed third in a DeKalb County meet at Shamrock Park last uesday. Senior Nolan Schnepf took top individual honors with a time of 17:53 while senior Bsrat Gide finished fourth in 18:07. Josh Bagriansky Dunwoody, Marist, St. Pius X, Decatur, Druid Hills, Lakeside, Paideia James Butler Miller Grove, Southwest DeKalb, Stephenson, Columbia, Redan, Stone Mountain Ricky Dimon ucker, Chamblee, M.L. King